Substance profile
Boron tribromide
Boron tribromide is colorless, fuming liquid with a sharp, irritating odor.
01 · Identification
What Boron tribromide is
Boron tribromide is colorless, fuming liquid with a sharp, irritating odor. It boils at 91.3 °C, melts at -46 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as corrosives.
02 · Identifiers
Boron tribromide identifiers and molecular data
Boron tribromide CAS number and EC number
Boron tribromide molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Boron tribromide hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Boron tribromide pictograms and signal word
Boron tribromide hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H300 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
Where two values are shown with “or”, the hazard statement is shared by more than one category or by more than one class, and the code alone does not say which. H272, for example, belongs to oxidising liquids and to oxidising solids — the physical state decides. The binding answer for a specific entry is in the CLP Annex VI table itself.
Boron tribromide hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H300 | Fatal if swallowed. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
Boron tribromide supplemental EU statements (EUH)
| Code | Statement |
|---|---|
| EUH014 | Reacts violently with water. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Boron tribromide. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Boron tribromide
A Safety Data Sheet is written for a product, not for a substance: the supplier of the grade you actually buy issues it, so two suppliers of Boron tribromide issue two different sheets. That is why there is no single authoritative SDS for a substance to download — what there is, is the job of collecting the sheets for the products you hold and keeping them current as suppliers revise them.
04 · Precautionary statements
Boron tribromide precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 9 precautionary statements to Boron tribromide. They are grouped the way a label groups them: what to do before handling, what to do when something has already happened, how to store it and how to dispose of it.
Prevention
What to do before and during handling so the hazard never happens.
Response
What to do once exposure, spillage or fire has already happened.
Reading the notation. … is a blank the supplier fills in — not a truncated sentence.· [square brackets] mark a part printed only when it applies.
05 · Names in the regulation
Boron tribromide name in 23 EU languages
CLP Annex VI Part 3 is published in every language edition of the regulation, and the identification column is written out in each of them. Nothing below is translated by us: each line is the name as that edition prints it. Under Art. 18(2) the substance name from Annex VI is a lawful product identifier, so this is the wording to put on a label going to that market — and where the cell lists several designations, any one of them qualifies.
| Language | Name in CLP Annex VI Part 3 |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian български | борен трибромид |
| Spanish español | Tribromuro de boro |
| Czech čeština | bromid boritý |
| Danish dansk | bortribromid |
| German Deutsch | Bortribromid |
| Estonian eesti | boortribromiid |
| Greek ελληνικά | τριβρωμιούχο βόριο |
| English English | boron tribromide |
| French français | tribromure de bore |
| Croatian hrvatski | borov tribromid |
| Italian italiano | tribromuro di boro |
| Latvian latviešu | bora tribromīds |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | boro tribromidas |
| Hungarian magyar | bór-tribromid |
| Maltese Malti | tribromur tal-boron |
| Dutch Nederlands | boortribromide |
| Polish polski | tribromek boru |
| Portuguese português | tribrometo de boro |
| Romanian română | tribromură de bor |
| Slovak slovenčina | bromid boritý |
| Slovenian slovenščina | borov tribromid |
| Finnish suomi | booritribromidi |
| Swedish svenska | bortribromid |
All 23 language editions of Annex VI carry this entry. Irish is the twenty-fourth official EU language and has no line here for a different reason: no consolidated CLP text has ever been published in Irish, so there is no Irish edition of Annex VI to quote a name from. Source: consolidated CLP, CELEX 02008R1272, language editions. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic.
06 · Label elements
Boron tribromide GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Boron tribromide, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Boron tribromide
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Fatal if swallowed.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Reacts violently with water.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF INHALED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Rinse mouth.
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Boron tribromide in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Boron tribromide health hazards and exposure limits
Boron tribromide hazard summary
Liquid will burn skin; [CHRIS] Toxic effects are similar to those of hydrogen bromide (which is released when BBr3 reacts violently with water). [ACGIH] A corrosive that can cause pulmonary edema; [ICSC]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Boron tribromide occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 1 ppm (10 mg/m³) [Construction and Maritime Industries only] | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | none See Appendix G | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 1 ppm (10 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | C 1 ppm (10 mg/m3) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | N.D. | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
These are United States values. The European Union sets its own indicative and binding limits, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation — not the one shown here.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Boron tribromide properties
Every value is shown with the conditions it was measured under and the source it came from. Where sources disagree, all values are listed rather than one being picked — the difference is usually a different form of the substance, not an error.
Boron tribromide boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 91.3 °C (196.3 °F) | HSDB | |
| 90 °C (194 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| 91.11 °C (196 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Boron tribromide melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -46 °C (-50.8 °F) | HSDB | |
| -46.11 °C (-51 °F) | NIOSH |
Boron tribromide density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 2.6 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 2.7 g/cm³ | ICSC | ||
| 2.645 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | CAMEO |
Boron tribromide solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Soluble in carbon tetrachloride, sulfur dioxide (liquid), sulfur dichloride; moderately soluble in methylcyclohexane | HSDB | |
| Decomposes | decomposes | NIOSH | |
| Decomposes (NIOSH, 2024) | decomposes | CAMEO |
Boron tribromide vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 40 mmHg | at 14 °C | HSDB |
| 39.7533 mmHg | at 14 °C | ICSC |
Boron tribromide lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | May explode when heated. | HSDB | |
| ... May ... explode in moist air ... | Boranes | HSDB | |
| Noncombustible Liquid | NIOSH |
Boron tribromide vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 8.6 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Boron tribromide critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | 307.85 °C (586.1 °F) | HSDB |
Boron tribromide corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Strongly attacks metals and wood | HSDB | |
| Corrosive to rubber and bakelite | HSDB | ||
| Corrosive to tissue | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Boron tribromide fire and explosion behaviour
These are descriptions rather than measured values, so they are kept out of the table above and quoted here with the source that reported them.
Boron tribromide fire potential
Not flammable
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
10 · Handling and storage
Boron tribromide storage and handling
Boron tribromide safe storage
Separated from incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers. Cool. Dry. Ventilation along the floor.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Boron tribromide storage conditions
Separate from alkalies, oxidizing materials, alcohols, ethers, alkali metals, phosphorus, wood. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Boron tribromide incompatible materials
Reacts with water and various metals.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Boron tribromide reactivity
BORON TRIBROMIDE strongly attacks wood and rubber with generation of flammable hydrogen gas. Reacts exothermically and violently with water. Mixing tungsten trioxide and boron tribromide caused an explosion when the reaction was not cooled in an ice bath.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Boron tribromide in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Boron tribromide UN number and transport classification
Transport classification is a separate system from the GHS classification above. It decides how a package is marked and how a load may be carried; it does not follow from the workplace label, and the workplace label does not follow from it. The entries below are linked by CAS number, never by name.
Boron tribromide under UN 2692 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BORON TRIBROMIDE | 8 | C1 | I | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 8 is “Corrosive substances” (ADR 2.1.1.1).
United States · 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table
| Proper shipping name (column 2) | Class or division | PG | Labels (column 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boron tribromide | 8 | I | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 8 is “Corrosive material” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Boron tribromide — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Boron tribromide?
The CAS number of Boron tribromide is 10294-33-4. Its EC number is 233-657-9.
What does a Boron tribromide label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Boron tribromide carries the pictograms Skull and crossbones and Corrosion and the signal word is Danger.
Is Boron tribromide flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Boron tribromide no flammability hazard class. That is not a statement that it cannot burn: the harmonised list only records the hazards that were assessed for it.
Is Boron tribromide a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Boron tribromide. Annex VI is a list of agreed classifications, not a list of substances found safe, so this is an absence of a classification rather than a clean bill of health.
What is the exposure limit for Boron tribromide?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Boron tribromide is 1 ppm (10 mg/m³) [Construction and Maritime Industries only] (Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)). Limits differ by country: the EU sets its own indicative and binding values, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation.
What is the boiling point of Boron tribromide?
The boiling point reported for Boron tribromide is 91.3 °C (196.3 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Boron tribromide?
The melting point reported for Boron tribromide is -46 °C (-50.8 °F) (HSDB).
How should Boron tribromide be stored?
Separate from alkalies, oxidizing materials, alcohols, ethers, alkali metals, phosphorus, wood. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Boron tribromide
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